By Shruthi Mahalingaiah:
Just as heart health is linked with overall health, so is menstrual health. In research studies about the heart, it is important to gather information about menstrual cycles and health researchers should prioritize this in study design. At a minimum, ascertaining whether cycles are regular or irregular is important. One reason is that irregular cycles are associated with higher mortality rates (Nurses’ Health Study II).
The MULTITUDE Study harmonized cohorts for heart disease, but noted limited reproductive health measures within the datasets. A few cohorts had outcomes related to menstrual irregularity, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
The Framingham Heart Study included heart and reproductive health measures–evaluating history of infertility, current cardiovascular disease status, and cardiovascular risk factors: resting blood pressure, fasting lipid levels, fasting blood glucose, waist circumference and body mass index (BMI). A publication from the study’s cohort found that BMI and waist circumference were the most strongly correlated cardiovascular risk factors amongst women reporting a history of infertility.
The digital, longitudinal Apple Women’s Health Study aims to understand women’s health across the lifespan at a population-level, including the impact of factors such as physical activity and heart-related conditions.
Heart research that includes reproductive health outcome measures is important. Irregular menstruation alone or with androgen excess (clinical or biochemical measures), increases the risk for cardio-metabolic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and premature death. Irregular menstruation is also associated with premature death.
Research will help to improve clinical interventions to keep hearts strong
With more research, we will be able to come up with more effective clinical interventions to reduce risk for heart conditions.
There are many ways to improve your heart health and manage PCOS symptoms, including living a healthy lifestyle: good nutrition, restful sleep, exercise, staying hydrated, and taking care of your mental health. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s The Healthy Living Guide has great tips about nutrition and exercise.
For my patients that are starting to incorporate physical activity into their routine, I recommend walking daily for 5-10 min and building up to a 30 min walk, aiming for five days a week as a start.
Some ways I stay active to keep my heart strong are running and walking–I especially love going on walks with my family! When I was younger, I danced and played soccer. The teamwork needed to score a goal and the joy of movement to music made being active fun!
Taking care of your heart health is important and may help improve your menstrual health. As researchers, it is important that we continue to prioritize the inclusion of reproductive health measures in heart-related studies.
